‘Senior Prom’ is improv magic

The last day of school is near. It is a busy time for high school seniors: They are applying to colleges, taking a lot of final tests and trying to get a date for prom.

The play “Senior Prom” is a funny and delightful ‘mockumentary’ of this high school experience but with a huge twist – the audience gets to participate in it. That’s right! The audience gets to become a part of the show they came to enjoy.

The actors pick out people at random to come up and talk. They take their suggestions, improvise some of the dialogue and even get to vote on the prom king and queen.

However, even without audience participation, you’ll have a great time just watching.

The story begins a few weeks before the prom, with a very perky girl named Brittany. She’s there to take down suggestions the cast and the audience about what the prom theme should be.

By the end, she has so many different ideas that she can’t make up her mind.

Meanwhile, one of the girls named Charlotte (Charlie for short) has been given the impossible task of decorating the gym, whether she has a clue or on how to do that not.

While she is busy with that task, her twin brother, Miles, tries to figure out which girl to ask to the prom. The problem is that no one wants to go with him.

Miles’ best friend, Kyle, is also having trouble with prom preparations, especially catering services, which should have been reserved months earlier. Both boys quickly learn that time isn’t on their side.

The audience also meets the most disgustingly happy couple (or so it seems) in the school: Shawn and Shelley. They’ve been together since the fourth grade.

Shawn’s best friend, Rob, hates Shelly and tries to sabotage the relationship. The ‘other woman,’ Natalie, does as well.

And there are also the misfits of the school: the Goth and the geek AKA Lynsey and Zach. Zach can’t bare the thought of getting rejected by Lynsey if he asks her to prom directly, so he tries all kinds of other approaches, none of which impress her.

This play is based on a high school made film that was an enormous hit at the 2010 Seattle International Film Festival and went on to many other film festivals in the country. It was written by Nick Terry, who then turned his film into a hit play.

The cast is sensational. They have to not only be very funny and make the audience members care, they have to think on their feet and improvise when the moments come.

Do you remember your prom? Whether it was good or bad, have some fun with improv at “Senior Prom,” playing June 7,8, 14, 15 at 7:30 p.m. and June 2,9, 16 at 3 p.m. at the Historic Everett Theater, at 2911 Colby Ave. in Everett.

Tickets are $10 or $8 for students, seniors and military. Dress up for prom and get $1 off. Order tickets at 425-258-6766 or online at www.etix.com.